


Text Me

by Quillss



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Human squip, JAKE HAS ABS, M/M, MICHAEL IS MY HIPSTER SON, My first BMC fic, i support and love chubby michael, michael works in a coffee shop with jake, oh and the squip and jeremy are related i should've mentioned that, please like it nonetheless ill cry, retro games, rich and jeremy are best bros, rich has baby abs, some of the chapters will have text fic in it, squip is mean, this is a mess im sorry, twink jeremy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-04-27 05:22:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14418579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quillss/pseuds/Quillss
Summary: Michael Mell and his best friend Jake Dillinger work in a cute little coffee shop. Everything seems completely fine and normal, chill. That's until two customers walk in and both of the baristas gain huge crushes.With Michael's homophobic parents, Jeremy's annoying and degrading older brother, Rich's obvious mental issues and Jake's background of crime, can any of them actually be with who they want to be with?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is loosely based off an rp but i took my own original twist on it
> 
> please enjoy and feel free to put down critiques in the comments!!

"Dude, I'm telling you." Jake leaned against the counter as he brushed scone flour off his uniform, as Michael rolled his eyes at his laziness. "I'd totally sleep with The Rock if he was up for it." 

"Aren't you worried about it becoming public? I mean, he's famous as an actor and a wrestler. You'd become front page news and your online reputation would be ruined." Micheal inquired, and Jake shrugged. "Worth it if it was for that di-"

"Not at work!" Micheal groaned and literally slapped a hand over his best friend's mouth, causing Jake to let out a muffled laugh. "Right, sorry. I forget that you're the stereotypical foreign catholic boy. But I've seen you drool while looking at a picture of Johnathan Groff, so it should be me slapping your pretty lips." Jake laughed and Micheal felt his cheeks hit up. But he couldn't stay mad at Jake for too long. Michael nudged his rib cage with his elbow and leaned against the counter.

He looked around at their surroundings. It was a cozy cafe, a place where college students meetup for studying and the occasional friend group, and the rare couple. Michael supposed he was fine with this, even if it wasn't his ideal dream of being a game developer. Maybe one day he'd get there. Jake on the other hand... well, as long as it paid he'd do it.

Speaking of Jake, he felt a hand on his shoulder and one on his chin, moving his head to look at the glass door. Micheal groaned. "Dude. What are you-?" He cut himself off as a duo of boys walked into the shop, nudging each other and giggling over some joke that had previously been told outside.

One of them was taller, and wore a dark blue cardigan. He had an old, worn out Sonic The Hedgehog shirt on under his cardigan as well. A mop of light brown hair in an obvious bedhead style daunted his head. His jeans were loose and comfortable as well, but it was pretty easy to see that he was thin under his clothes. He had striking blue eyes and a backpack around his shoulder, one strap hanging loosely off his shoulder. Pale skin, lightly freckled and some acne aftermath from his teen years. But damn, was Michael instead head over heels for this guy.

Next to him, his much smaller but definitely more hunkier friend had been staring at the menu above the bar. He had similar hair to his taller friend's except there was a red strip in the middle of it. He wore a loose tank top than showed off his arms, his shoulders and arms heavily spotted with freckles. He had a pair of jeans on as well, but wore sandals instead of the normal shoes. A weird combination to wear in New Jersey, but he wasn't crawling himself into an anxiety attack over how he looked.

Michael and Jake gave each other glances, and Jake removed his hands from Michael's face. "Oh my god, dude, I'm totally The Rock hard for that shorter one."

"Jake! He'll hear you!" Michael angry-whispered back to him as Jake shrugged. "Not like I wont let him know it. I mean, not right now.. but maybe later?" He asked himself, and Michael pushed up his glasses and sighed. 

"Shit. They're coming this way to order. Act.. like not yourself, okay?" Michael instructed, pushing Jake forward nervously as he hid his face from their gazes. His usually dark skin had been flushed a faint red, and it was way too visible for him to actually speak to them.

Jake leaned against the counter with one hand and smiled. "Hey, what can I get you good-looking gentlemen?" He asked, and Michael internally screamed. The shorter one moved forward and smiled, refuting back eagerly as if he had wanted someone like this to ask them to order.

"Well, my not-so-good-looking-as-me friend and I would like to order two of your finest.. er.. coffee with soy milk and caramel drizzle. Oh, and iced on the first one." He laughed, breaking out of the polite facade basically before it even began. Jake nodded over to Michael and he shifted back, beginning to prep their orders.

Jake smiled. "So, what brings you two here?" He asked, and the shorter one replied. It seemed that he did much of the talking between the duo. "New on campus. Jer and I just moved here from Wisconsin. His dad isn't doing so well, right?" The shorter asked his friend, and 'Jer' nodded nervously, grasping at his cardigan sleeve.

"Jer? That short for Jerad or something?" Jake asked, and 'Jer' piped up again. "It's Jeremy, actually." He responded, and the shorter guy moved forward in front of Jeremy, obviously wanting Jake's attention more than Jeremy did. "And I'm Rich. Whose the Latino behind you?" He asked, and Michael's cheek flushed red.

Michael turned around, two takeaway cups in his hands. "Actually, I'm half Ecuadorian. And.. half Filipino." He placed down the cups on the counter, scratching behind his neck nervously. Rich shrugged. "So, yeah, Latino. Nothing against your ethnicity man!" He stated, making sure he didn't come off as racist.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Ignore Michael. He gets nervous about the tiniest things, guy can't keep up." He half-joked, nudging Michael's front before grabbing a sharpie pen and their cups. "Rich, right?" He asked Rich, and he nodded. Jake scribbled down his name on the side as well as a few digits. Phone number digits. He handed Rich his cup and Rich handed over a few crumpled dollars.

"Hey, Michael, you write Jeremy's." He requested, handing him Jeremy's cup and the pen. Michael and Jeremy locked gazes for a strong five seconds before Michael embarrassingly looked down at the cup and began to write down his name. But he had to comment on something, anything to break their awkward silence. "I like your shirt, I hope you know that Knuckles is the true hero of the games though.." He mumbled, barely audible.

But Jeremy sure as hell heard it. His eyes lit up and he smiled. "Dude, I know right?! I can't believe that nobody else pays attention to him. I mean, if he wasn't the one protecting the Master Emerald all that time-"

"Then Dr.Eggman would be able to take it-"

"Angel Island would collapse into the ocean-"

"And the whole world would be in complete and utter chaos!" Both of them ended their story in sync, and couldn't help but chuckle nervously. Michael looked over to the side. Jake and Rich seemed to be heavily engrossed in their conversation. He looked back at Jeremy and smiled. "I'm, uh, Michael. I mean- you probably know that because Jake said it so many times but uh-" He cleared his throat, scribbling down his phone number on the side of the cup like Jake did. "I'm sorry to hear about your dad."

Jeremy took it thankfully and handed over the exact amount of money needed. "It's okay, I mean, the guy can barely put on pants as it is. My mom used to get so mad at him whenever he was walking around the house in nothing but tighty-whities and I used to agree with her." He chuckled nervously, and then went quiet. It seemed like Jeremy wasn't too fond when his mother was brought into the conversation, even if it was by himself.

"Hey, uh.." Michael looked up at the clock. "I get off my shift in like.. two hours tops. If you're not busy.. maybe we could..?" His sentence trailed off but Jeremy seemed to get the gyst of what he was saying. "Yeah, sure thing. How about the mall, uh, food court at 14:30?" He asked, and Michael nodded. 

"Cool, text me." Michael asked, pointing to the digits on the side of his cup. Jeremy nodded and smiled, before looking up at the clock himself. "Oh, fuck! Rich, we're gonna miss orientation!" He half-yelled, half-instructed. He grabbed Rich's arm and basically dragged him out of shop.

Jake and Michael looked at each other, before Jake sighed quietly. "Man, screw the Rock. I'd totally sleep with Rich."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy and Michael meet-up at the food court in the mall. Jeremy is awkward. Save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this got more recognition than i thought it'd get overnight, wowowwowowoowowowowow??????? thank you???

Michael had been checking the clock every five minutes, hoping that the time could go quicker. But at the same time, he sort-of hoped that everything went slowly too. He would have to go home and get dressed out of this stupid barista uniform- oh god, he just realized how much he hated this thing. The uniform itself wasn't too bad, a white shirt with elbow-length sleeves, with the trademark green apron and the shop's logo. His name tag on the left side and a notepad in the apron's pocket, he was fine with it. You were allowed to wear anything "appropriate" for pants and all that, so he wore the usual set of jeans he had nearly had for about three years.

But now that he was looking at himself from an out of body experience, he realized how much he  _hated_ this. It wasn't a huge secret that Michael was somewhat overweight, but Jake had told him it made him look more comfortable, approachable, 'snug' he called it. Well, Jake could say that. Jake worked any outfit, whether it was the uniform or his casual clothes.

No, Michael wouldn't let himself get jealous at his best friend's body. He wasn't like that, he told himself. Tapping his fingers on the counter and only responding to customers with a few hums and grunts, Jake finally approached him.

"Are you worried about this date with your new boyfriend?" He joked, and Michael instantly looked flushed. "H-He's not- Jake, we just met!" He refuted, and Jake rolled his eyes. "Well, I was gonna offer to take the rest of your shift buuut-"

"No! No, please. Jake, you're the best bro ever!" Michael stated, leaning forward and literally hugging Jake. He could feel his rib cage being crushed despite being textured with thick layers of muscle. Michael was a really strong hugger.

Jake just hoped that one of Michael's hugs didn't snap Jeremy in half.

* * *

Jeremy arrived early. That was a serious habit of his. He didn't want to be late and make it look like he had stood him up. But he didn't want to show up on time, he wasn't a freak like that who was precise and stupidly obnoxious and-

"Hey! Jeremy." A voice called out behind him. Jeremy whipped around in fear at first, before the hairs on his skin relaxed. It was just Michael. Michael.. was his name, right? Yeah, it was. He had flagged Jeremy down pretty quickly. And he had tried to make himself blend in as well.

Michael jogged toward him carefully, keeping a respectful distance between them. This was.. normal, right? They were just two new guys trying to become friends. Michael's hoodie definitely made him stand out though. It was a musty red, but with all the logos and sewn on badges, even a LGBT Flag on his shoulder, it looked.. cool. Hip. 

He hadn't had much time to sort himself out, but thanks to Jake he had been able to at least run home quickly and gel his hair, grab the hoodie on and put on something that wasn't work clothes.

And he had been able to hide his tattoo in sleeves as well.

"Hey, Michael." He smiled, and gestured for him to sit down. "I-I was just thinking about going to get us something to eat while I waited- but I supposed it's better if you're here to do that- I-I don't know what you like." Jeremy shrugged and chuckled nervously, the tinge of his cheeks turning red.

Michael reciprocated the chuckle and sat down, running a hand through his mildly damp hair and smiling. "I'm-uh, okay with anything really." He shrugged, and now Jeremy felt his mind cloud with thoughts.

Did he really have to choose what they had? What if he picked something wrong, or something that Michael didn't want? He said he was okay with anything, but what if he was just saying that so Jeremy didn't feel awkward? What if there secretly was something that Michael wanted but he didn't want to say it to him to be polite? Jeremy genuinely didn't mind mall food, but now that he was looking around he felt so insecure about this place. Why'd they have to meet here of all places, where the vast majority of junk food toppled over everything nice? Why did life have to be so hard for him? Why was Michael-?

Jeremy's train of thought was put to a halt at the sound of his own stomach calling out to him hungrily, and Jeremy suddenly regretted literally only having coffee this day so far. Play it off. He thought nervously, placing one hand over his front whilst trying desperately to make eye contact with Micheal without crying.

"G-Guess I'm fine with anything as well, uh.." He looked around in haste nervously, make a decision quick or you look bad, Jeremy thought to himself as he stood up abruptly, stubbing his foot on the metal table leg but not showing any signs of pain, though it hurt like hell. "I'll go get us some fries and drinks- oh uh, do you want anything with them?"

Michael shrugged, he seemed completely fine about the situation, at least externally. "I don't really mind. And could you get me a cherry slush if they have any? Oh- wait, here." He reached out for his own wallet and Jeremy froze, before pushing Michael's hand back down. He didn't mean to make physical contact with him, but now he had, and he.. kind of liked it. Michael had smooth skin, warm as well. Jeremy on the other hand.. well, he didn't have rough skin but it wasn't exactly smooth either. And he was freezing cold.

"No, I'll pay for it. S-Seriously, don't sweat it." Jeremy smiled, and before Michael could refute he moved forward and walked away from their table, immediately heading toward the fast food kiosk.

He breathed in and out quietly, ordering quickly. Jeremy glanced over his shoulder more than a few times, Michael was looking at his phone. That was fine. Looking at your phone was completely normal. But checking on a guy you just met probably wasn't, so stop it Jeremy, he told himself. Jeremy noted that their table already had condiments on them, so he wouldn't need to bring any over.

But he still grabbed a tray, putting Michael's slush puppy and his own Sprite on it as well as the mini-basket worth of fries. This would be okay, this wasn't a date like Rich said it was, they were just two guys chilling out and hanging with each other.

Except Michael was incredibly hot and that made Jeremy incredibly nervous.

Shaking that thought from his head, he payed through his card before heading over back to Michael sheepishly, smiling the moment Michael looked up from his phone and slid it into his pocket, gesturing back to Jeremy and smiling. "Hey- sorry, I was checking how well my Galaga ships we're doing- wait, shit, sorry- you probably don't-"

"Well, how are they?" Jeremy asked, setting their tray down and sitting next to Michael. "You don't think I played my fair share of video games?" He chuckled, taking a sip of sprite and looking over at Michael. "Galaga isn't my favorite though. I much prefer Super Mario Bros or something really old timey, like-"

"Legend of Zelda?" Michael finished his sentence for him, and Jeremy smiled. "Took the words straight out of my mouth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this american enough for you???
> 
> hi im british and dont go outside so its hard for me to understand what its like to use these american words like "mall" and "fries" and "slush" constantly, please appreciate my E F FO R Ts


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy brings Michael back to his place for video games, unfortunately before they start something bad _has_ to happen, doesn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise next chapter i'll do some richjake stuff, but can you really hate me for focusing on my boyfs???

"Yeah, never gotten past level nine." Jeremy shrugged as they walked along the street. Michael had kept a hold of his slushie and took frequent sips as they walked, nodding along with everything the lighter brunette seemed to say. "Oh my god, same! I used to try and get Jake to play it with me all the time but he never took it seriously or he was 'busy with someone else'. Which I'm pretty sure was code word for.." Michael made a circle with his hand and shoved his fist through it, nearly spilling slushie over himself.

Jeremy smiled and snickered. "Rich would never play it with me either, he was off being cool and chatting up guys." He simply stated, scratching behind his head. Both of them stopped at the corner of the street. One way went back to Jeremy's dad's house where he was currently staying, and the other went to Michael's parents' home.

Jeremy looked over his shoulder down the street where he lived, and sighed. "Hey, Michael?" He asked, and Michael hummed in response mid-sip. "Would you- I don't know, wanna come back to mine and try and beat the level? My dad never changed my bedroom from when I was a teenager so I'm sure the console is all hooked up. But if you don't want to! I-I mean, if you want me to leave I can-"

"I'd love to! Man, I haven't touched that beautiful relic of a game since like- eleventh grade!" Michael seemed pumped, and Jeremy internally sighed in relief. "My house is this way." He gestured to the other side of the corner, and Michael followed.

Now that he was looking at him completely, Jeremy was.. kinda stunned at Michael's appearance. His skin was nicely dark, his hair was smooth and looked soft as hell. He fit his clothes comfortably and even a little snugly, but it suited him. He had trademark hipster glasses and an ear stud. If he looked closer, he also had.. some sort of ink on his wrist? Maybe it was a tattoo or something, Jeremy wouldn't pry if Michael was hiding it.

It didn't take long for Michael to finish his slushie and dump the empty plastic cup into a trashcan, hiding both of his hands in his front hoodie pocket. Jeremy sighed softly, only loud enough for himself to hear it but he couldn't not take back the sight of Michael. 

He really was kinda pretty.

* * *

 "My dad is at the hospital right now, he'll be home in a few hours." Jeremy said as he pushed open the door to his childhood home. Everything looked the exact same as he had left it when he moved state. Hell, the same pair of jeans were still strewn across the sofa. He beckoned with his fingers carefully, heading upstairs with Michael following suit.

Michael looked at the photos of family on the walls whilst they went upstairs. There were a few of Jeremy and someone he presumed to be his dad, and another boy - maybe Jeremy's brother? - who looked leaner and darker and didn't even look like he belonged in the comfy family. However, Michael couldn't see any pictures of any girls. So he assumed Jeremy had probably never met his mom, maybe she had died or divorced? He wasn't going to ask.

As they reached the landing, four doors stood in a hallway. All of them were white, one had a fake warning sign poster on it that read 'DO NOT ENTER: GAMER AT WORK'. That one was presumably Jeremy's. Another had a slightly more homey feel to it, the door had a flower pot by it. Would that be his dad's? And another one had a slightly odd feeling to it. The door was plain, but there was a neon blue light coming from the peak under the door. Very creepy. Was it the boy he had saw in the photo's room? And the other room? Plain. Probably the bathroom.

Jeremy opened up the room with the warning poster. At once he felt back at home. He had posters of several video game characters on the pastel blue walls - Samus, Sheik, Star-Fox, Luigi - he could probably name them all. An old 64 was hooked up to a fairly sized fourteen inch tv. There were bean bags straddled across the room and a photo of Jeremy and his dad on the dresser by the bed, they looked.. happy. At least from what Michael could tell.

"So Apocalypse of the Damned, right? Unless you wanna play anything else?" Jeremy asked as he sat down on one of the many bean bags. Michael nodded and sat himself down next to him as Jeremy put in the game cartidge after blowing on it a few times. 

The 8-bit music ramped up and the two main players appeared on the screen. Michael was pretty sure they had canonical names - Daniel and Jay maybe? - but he didn't develop to deep into the lore of the game until he had completed it.

And he hadn't actually completed it.

Michael was handed a control and Jeremy went onto his last save file progress, he was right, level nine. This was gonna be a ride to hell and back, Jeremy thought. But he was with Michael, he'd be fine, nothing could possibly go wrong here, right?

The sound of his bedroom door opening emitted. "Well, if wittle Jeremy isn't here playing with his wittle loser fwend?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> british boy tries to use american words to be more easy on the audience; the sequel
> 
> i seriously had to get up a grade list to find out what the ages were for each year, america y'all have a weird educational system
> 
> also i did a name shoutout to my two gays Daniel and Jay-Joseph, ya welcome faggots <3
> 
> ALSO SQUIP IS HERE HH SORRY FOR HIS RUSHED ENTRANCE I JUST WANTED HIM TO SHOW UP


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich and Jake text each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning; v v short chapter im sorry
> 
> still like this sis my first richjake thing?? is good??  
>  noo??

Thinking back on it now, maybe it wasn't the best idea to have Michael leave for this date- or whatever it was. 

Jake lolled his head in his elbows as he propped them on the counter, pulling over the office chair they used for the computer to sit down. It was never rush hour in the cafe, but sometimes it could be overwhelming trying to deal with six orders at once- or something like that. Jake wasn't the best at his job in the first place.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, an unknown number texting him. He blinked in confusion at first, staring down at the message as he tried to decipher who the hell would've sent him something so.. weird.

**??:** wus poppin jimbo

**??:** sorry thats a dead meme

Jake placed the large, folded 'Lunch-Break' sign on the counter whilst he wandered into the break room, which was mainly used by him and Michael since most of the other employees didn't seem to care about taking breaks- what weirdos. 

Not the point, though. He fired back a message.

**Jakey D:** new phone who dis??

It was only appropiate he send a dead meme if this guy (or girl) was going to do the same.

**??:** harambe

**??:** jk its rich

Jake's heart thumped in his chest, his cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. How did he not guess? Slowly, he smiled and shot back another message, after changing the Unknown Number to a nickname of 'cute shortie'

**Jakey D:** hey whats good in the hood

**cute shortie:** hoods?? we're not the bloods or crips man

**Jakey D:** hey u never know blood

Jake turned on the camera and curled his fingers and thumbs into the Bloods gang symbol, sending over a quick picture of it. He was surprised at the immediate reaction picture of Rich following on with the Crips symbol.

**Jakey D:** woops looks like we're opposing gangs

**Jakey D:** we can't hang out ever

**cute shortie:** unless you wanna reenact a less het version of West Side Story

**cute shortie:** just so you know im totally up for that

**Jakey D:** man i'd love to but afraid i cant dance

**cute shortie:** i'll teach you how to drop a move bro

Jake's cheeks were pink, which slowly faded to red as he giggled at every message Rich seemed to send him. Why was he so enticed to speak with him? Sure, he was gay but.. how could be sure Rich was too? He did just make a WSS reference though, so maybe..

**Jakey D:** west side story is a p gay musicals for gays

**cute shortie:** good thing im lowkey bisexual

**cute shortie:** actually

**cute shortie:** more like highkey but not the point lmao

Well, Jake got his answer, didn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to google 'crips and bloods gang symbols' in school for this
> 
> appreciate my effort im pretty sure i have the FBI on my tail now


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has been on a massive hiatus?? hecking i really wanna finish this but i promise the series will take a good turn sooner or later!!

"Go away, Squip. Why aren't you at the hospital with dad, anyways?" Jeremy groaned, rolling his eyes into the back of his skull. Michael blinked, was that Jeremy's brother? The kid that he had seen in the photos. As per recognition, he seriously looked nothing like Mr. Heere or even Jeremy himself. So either this was an adoption, or Jeremy's mom was really dark.

Squip rolled his eyes. "Chill, Jer. My entire purpose is only to ruin your life. Whose this?" He asked, gesturing to Michael. Jeremy's heart sunk in his chest, his fingers fiddling with themselves. "A friend."

"Aww, wittle Jewemy weally does a have a fwend." Squip chuckled, and then glanced back at Michael. "So how much is he paying you for you to stick around?" He asked, and Jeremy's cheeks turned red from embarrassment. Micheal felt the grip on his controller tighten, but he couldn't decipher why he was so angry. He hadn't even known Jeremy twenty four hours.

Micheal stood up from the beanbag, folding his arms and staring over at Jeremy's brother. "Give Jeremy some credit, he got himself a friend without looking like he just stepped out of the Matrix. He doesn't scare people away like you do." Holy shit. Did Micheal just say that? He could barely stand up for himself, never mind some guy he just met. However, it seemed to work as Squip blinked in surprised, too shocked to reply.

"Hey- and another thing. If you're meant to be visiting your sick dad like a good son, what kind of guy are you if you delibrately go out of the way to torment someone a little less organized than you? I think the answer is pretty apparent." Micheal wasn't that tall, or really.. that threatening looking. But Squip was tall, lean and dark. However, it did seem that Michael had got the best of him as Jeremy's brother turned away on one heel and started mumbling stuff under his breath. 

Michael literally felt himself tremble, but soon he felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Holy shit, man! I-I can't believe you did that. Uh, nobody really defies Squip like that.. thanks." He smiled, and Michael's insides melted. He tried to calm himself down internally as he kept on his cool hipster facade on the external. "Seriously? It's cool. Squip's an odd name though.."

"Oh, yeah. Adopted. I'm pretty sure it stands for something, but I didn't want to look into it. God, he's been such a nuisance on my life since I was like- fifteen maybe? But really dude, thanks." Jeremy stated, awkwardly removing his hand from Michael's shoulder. Michael shrugged in response, laughing a little awkwardly. "No, no. It's cool. Really. I'm sure you would've done the same for me- if I had an older brother or sister." 

Jeremy sat back down on the left bean bag, checking his phone. "So, Rich is with your friend, right? What was his name?" Jeremy asked, clicking on the texting app on his mobile. Michael soon joined him on the opposing beanbag, stretching his arms back. "Jake. And if Rich is with Jake, then Jake is going to get  _with_ him if you know what I mean."

"I totally understand having best friends that are obsessed with sex, don't worry." Jeremy supported him. "Rich wouldn't leave any guy who looked at him alone, and he was always.. bragging about it." Jeremy visibly shivered, sticking out his tongue childishly. "He was much cooler than me in high school, I was always wondering if he was just hanging out with me for sympathy."

"Oh my god, dude, same! I used to think Jake only bothered with me because of the 'ethnic diversity' or whatever. He kept going on and on about all this chicks and guys he was banging, I used to find it really irritating." Michael replied, giggling in a slightly more comfortable manner. Jeremy smiled. "Looks like we're both the social outcasts with the out-there best friends."

Michael nodded, reaching into his hoodie pocket and checking his own phone. The flurry of text notifications from his parents made him cringe and sigh.

 **Dad:** mijo, where are you??

 **Dad:** your shift ended two hours ago

 **Dad:** your mother and i are really worried about you

 **Dad:** michael reply 

 **Mom:** michael please text us back

 **Mom:** your papá and i will phone the police if you don't come home tonight

 **Mom:**  please don't be with some guy again

Michael sighed, sending back a quick 'i'm not' to his mother. Only a few seconds after he had sent it, the phone immediately began to ring. Michael cursed under his breath, any time other than now would've been great. He glanced over at Jeremy worriedly, placing a finger to his lips. Jeremy seemed to get the message and nodded, pressing his lips together to silence himself as Michael picked up the phone.

"Michael! Oh, Micheal, _e_ _stábamos tan preocupados por ti._ " She started, and Michael felt his heart drop. He didn't really like to make his parents fret over him, especially after his 'phase' in high school they had 'dealt with'. Michael breathed in and out, staring down at Jeremy's carpet. "Mom, I'm fine- er,  _estoy bien, estoy en la casa de un amigo_." He responded, trying to make them feel a little more comfortable by speaking in his native tongue.

He paused. Thinking. " _Estaré en casa pronto, lo prometo._ " Michael added on, and he heard a thankful sigh of relief, and then some more talking that wasn't directed toward him, presumably his father. " _Apúrate a casa, hijo. Te amamos._ " His mother responded, and Michael felt his cheeks redden. Thank God Jeremy didn't know Spanish, because this was a type of phone call he'd prefer to have in private. 

" _Yo también te amo.."_ Micheal responded, before hanging up and placing his head in his hands. He could feel his internal thoughts committing suicide. Jeremy hunched up his knees, wrapping his legs around them and staring on awkwardly. "Was that your girlfriend?" He asked.

Michael smiled a little, shaking his head. "No, uh, parents. I have to go, they'll probably fucking annihilate me if I'm not home within ten minutes. Dude, I'm really sorry, like, I do wish I could stay and all but-"

"Totally understandable." Jeremy reassured him, smiling. Michael breathed a sigh of relief, standing up. "You've got my digits, right?" Michael asked, and Jeremy nodded. "Cool, uh, text me soon okay?" He asked, and Jeremy nodded once more. 

Before he knew it he was out of the Heere residence and running on the pavement back to his own house. Oh god, he was literally going to die. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rushed chapter again, aaa sorry!! but it's living so, that's cool
> 
> oh, if you didn't have access to a translator during this, i will update this part soon with an english translation, dw!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woosh, it lives.  
> im so frickin heckin sorry that this has been on a massive hiatus. please enjoy or feel free to critique in the comments!!

Am I unloved? 

No, of course not. Why would Micheal even think that? His feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted home, phone grasped in his hand. He took a break by the corner where his and Jeremy's streets separated. His hands rested themselves on his knees as he panted quietly.

The streetlights were just beginning to flicker on. He wasn't even in elementary school anymore, but the constant rule of 'home before dark' had stuck with him his whole life so far. Literally. How much time had he spent with Jeremy? A little over an hour at his house, and he was being generous with himself there.

Micheal ran a hand through his hair as he began to idly walk toward his house. The difference between his street and Jeremy's became massively apparent. White suburbs VS. Hispanic government homes. Luckily, he didn't really care about that sort of thing. It wasn't like he was being suppressed by white people.

He stopped hesitantly outside his house, one hand on the front gate. Technically, he hadn't told his parents  _which_ friend's house he was in, so maybe he could make up some excuse that the bus was late, or that he had to ask for help several times? But any plans that Micheal was making of escaping were foiled as the front door burst open and his mother came running out.

Michael silently cringed as he was showered in reassuring hugs and kisses from his mom, pushing the gate open and walking inside with his hands in his pockets and his mother tailing behind him like a security guard. The minute he was pushed indoors (almost unwillingly), his shoes kicked themselves of by the welcome mat and he made a beeline for the stairs.

"Mijo." A stern voice called out to him halfway up the stairs, and Michael swore internally. "Uh, yeah?" He asked sheepishly, afraid he was going to be bombarded with questions and accusations. His father sighed, rolling his eyes so far Micheal wouldn't be surprised if they went to the back of his head.

"Which friend's house were you at?" He asked, and Michael's fear came true. He couldn't reply with 'some dude i met today at the shop', or 'some dude i think i got the hots for'. Not unless he wanted to keep living here, that was. "I was at Jake's. He wanted me to come over after work." Michael lied, trying to make his way past his father to his bedroom.

However, a hand grabbed his shoulder tightly. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Did they know? Did someone see him with Jeremy on the way back or even at the mall? Michael turned his head back to face his dad's. "Micheal, call us in advance next time. Your mother was worried sick." _So was I, for a split second there._  Micheal nodded and rushed into his bedroom to avoid anymore awkward conversation. 

Wishing he had a lock on his door, it slammed shut as he heard his parents softly bickering on the stairs. But he wasn't too concerned about that, instead slipping on his headphones from his neck and grabbing over his laptop from the bedside table. It was covered in stickers from old consoles and candy bars. It originally had a rainbow flag on it, but he covered it up to avoid any suspicion on his parents' part. 

He had only been browsing on the internet for about five or six minutes before he heard a timid knock on his door. Micheal didn't even get a chance to reply before it was opened, his mother standing there with a bowl of what he assumed was reheated dinner. He pulled one headphone pad back and gestured to his drawers. Was it rude? Yes, but he was currently way more preoccupied with Tumblr scrolling than being modest. 

Luckily, his mother obliged and left it there, closing the door behind her as she left. Although he hadn't been paying much attention, he couldn't help but have noticed the wet marks on her cheeks. Michael felt guilty for not asking about it, but he stayed trapped in his room. If he saw it again, he'd ask, that's what he told himself.

It didn't take long for a second disturbance to arise from his daily browse of the weirdest social media ever. A buzz from his phone notified him that someone had texted. Probably Jake bragging about how he had  _totally_ been getting in with Rich. Michael had learned over the past years of their friendship not to remember everything that he was told by Jake. 

But to his surprise, an unknown number had sent him something. A flash of worry sparked in Michael's mind, but after reading the message he was sure of who it was.

**??:** hey! everything ok?? your parents murder you yet?

**Micah:** dead, chopped up. all my limbs are being sold on the black market.

**??:** cool send me a link, wanna buy an arm

Michael chuckled quietly, before creating a new contact with Jeremy's phone number. He struggled with a name for a few seconds, before just sticking with something platonic. He'd die of embarrassment if he saw that Jeremy had put his contact as something remotely romantically. 

**Micah:** forty bucks up front, cash in hand. 

**jewemy:** dang, you take robux by any chance?

**Micah:** acceptable payment, would you like your arm gift wrapped?

**Micah:** extra 20 robux tho

**jewemy:** then no gift wrap, im poor yknow

**Micah:** your limited edition michael arm will be at your residence within the next 20 years

**Micah:** unless you want it hand delivered

**jewemy:** hand delivered, i get an arm and a cool delivery guy

Did Jeremy seriously just call him cool? He couldn't tell if this was still part of the joke, and honestly, it made him feel nervous. He had experienced the 'no gay in my family' talk by both of his parents, on separate occasions, almost every year. So getting complimented(?) by a guy he barely knew sent shivers down his spine.

**Micah:**  hand delivery unavailable as the delivery guy has lost an arm

**jewemy:**  :(

**jewemy:**  then can i come pick it up?

Mainly due to his anxious homosexual mind, Michael turned off his phone in fear and tightened his headphones around his head. Alright, why was he being so scared? Nothing was going to happen between them. Maybe it was because of his pent-up attraction problems? Any guy who gave Michael a non-disgusted look he fell head over heels over. Just go back to browsing, come up with an excuse later, that's what he said to himself.

**jewemy:** michael???

**jewemy:**????

**jewemy:** did you die for real?

**jewemy:** can i come over to check if you're living?

**jewemy:** im coming over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> brit tries to understand and formulate american words: trilogy, the empire strikes back?

**Author's Note:**

> this story summed up in 10 words:
> 
> FOUR GAYS STRUGGLE WITH THEIR FEELINGS FOR A SOME CHAPTERS
> 
> thank you for reading!! i'll definitely try to continue this story but i want to work on all of my other projects too, please stay tuned!!


End file.
